Package



April 1, 1930.` E, Q. PAG'EL 1,752,996

` PACKAGE Filed June 22, 1925 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES l iaseaaae PATENT oFie ERNEST c. Paesi., or CHICAGO, iLLiivois, Assieiioia, BY Ivins-Nr: .Assieiiiviairs',"ro sreivonii STEEL srnsrriire coursier, A CORPORATION or' :DELAWARE PACKAGE Application filed .Tune 22,

My invention relates to a pacln'tge,l and more particularly to a package which will protect a stack of metal plates or other flat articles, and which will facilitate the shipment and handling thereof.

Steel and other metal plates, both plain and lithographed, are used for a great variety of industrial purposes. To be economically handled and shipped, they must be packaged or crated in units each consisting of a plurality of superposed plates.

Heretofore it has been difhcult, on account of the excessive weight of the plates., when assembled, securely to package and handle the same.` Crates which are nailed .together or screwed together for vthe carrying of such platesy are invariably of excessive bulk and. are subject to the very serious objection that the nails for screws ofthe crate often start ze out in handling and cause serious Wounds. Moreover, suchcrates are usually so much damaged in shipment that it is notfeasible to` use them a second time. Furthermore, it is impracticable tof reship crates ordinarily employed onf account of their bulk and the labor involved in knocking them down Vand reconstructing them. v

Vith these considerations in view, my inventioncontemplates the provision of: y

(a) A package of stacked plates which,

whilevery rugged and secure,.is only slightly larger than the stack of plates which it. contains.

(6),*A. package of stacked plates whichneed' be' only slightly heavier than the unpacked plates.

(c). A' package of stacked plates whichis; or may be formed entirely o f metal.

(d) A package of stacked plates compris- 40 ing an articulated frame embracing the edges-ot the plates. i I

(e) A package of stacked plates comprising an articulated framewhich can be readily openedfor receiving the plates, and read-l ilyI closedfvr locking the plates therein.

(f) A package-of stacked plates comprising an enclosing frame which can be readily knocked down into a relatively small bundle fon returning to the shipper.

5o (g) A package ofA stacked plates compriswas. serial iro. sass?.

ing an enclosing frame which can be locked against the7 removal of one or more plates except by the person holding the authorized key for unlocking the frame. Y

(It) A package so constructed as to afford a stack of metal plates or the like maximum' protection at the points where they require protection most,--that is, at the edges of the plates. Y

Other` features, objects and advantages of f my invention will appear from the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in

mately on the plane of the line 3-3 ofy Fig-V ure l and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; f n .I

Figure a is a transverse sectional view through one corner ofthe frame, such as on the line 1 -4c of Figure l; and

vFigure 5- isatransve'rse. sectional' view' through one ofthe channel members ofl` the frame.

The lithographed plates, sheets or other articles which are to be packaged. are indie` cated at 8 (Fig. a), it being understood that these sheets or plates 8l are representative of any flatnarticle or articles whichit is desired to bindl in package form. c, Where such sheets or plates have surfaces which it is desired to protect, intervening sheets 9 of iibre,.pastfxli oardl or any other suitable'ma-V terial may be placed between the plates or articles, as also shown in- Figs. Such protectingy sheets 9 may also be placed yover the outer sides of the outermost plates 8 for protecting the outer surfaces thereof.

a After the plates 8, and whatever protecting sheets 9 may be employed, have been stacked or brought together, as shown in Fig. 2, the edgesof the stack or group of' plates aie enclosed in a metallic protecting frame 11. This frame is of articulated construction, comprising four channel members pivoted together at three corners of the frame and arranged for opening at the fourth corner of the frame for placing the stack of plates therein. The upper and lower channels 12-12 andthe end channels 13-13 are of standard channel section, as shown in F ig. 5, onepair of channels being of narrower width than the other pair of channels for nesting between the side flanges of the-latter pair of channels. Preferably, the horizontal channels 12-12 are of narrower width than the end channels 13-13 forrengaging the ends of the horizontal channels between the side flanges of the end channels, although this arrangement may be reversed if desired, or', the nesting of one channel within the other may be Valternated at the corners of the frame.

The ends of the channels are pivotally connected by pairs of aligned rivets 15 which pass through the flanges of both channels.v

The inner heads of the rivets are countersunk in the flanges of the inner channel (Fig.

el) so as to lie flush'with the inner faces of these flanges. This leaves the full width oi the inner channel available for receiving the plates 8 and protecting sheets 9. The side flanges of each of the channel rails may be given a slight divergence, if desired, although find the parallel-sided sectional form, as shown in Fig. 5, to be preferable to a flared form of channel. The corners of the inner channels, which, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 are the channels 12, are rounded as indicated at 16 so that the frame can be knocked down in its entirety for returning to the shipper in the form of a relatively` small,

f compact bundle.

is of channel cross section having extending ears or lugs 21 through which are passed the rivets or pins 19 which pivotally connect the clamp or link to one rail of the frame. The inner heads of the pivot pins or rivets 19 are countersunk in the flanges of the channel 12, similarly to the arrangement shown in Fig. l, so as not to reduce the effective width between the flanges of the channel 12. The side flanges 22 of this clamp or link 18 are adapted to embrace the side flanges of the frame channel 13, and the web portion 23 is adapted to abut against the outer side of the channel 13. en eye or loop 24 is rigidly secured in the web portion of tris channel 18 for passing through a slot 25 in the web portion 23 of the clamp or link 18. After the clamp or link member 18 has been 'wung into closed position over the channel 13, a padlock or seal 26 may be passed through the loop 211 for locking or sealing the frame over its package of plates.

Camming means may be embodied in the clamp or link member 18 to .facilitate the closing of the frame over the stack of plates 8. VSuch camming means may comprise inclined grooves 27 punched outwardly in the side flanges 22 or the member'18, these camming grooves cooperating with pins or other cylindrical protuberances 28 projecting laterally from the upper end of the channel member 13. The upper ends of these camming grooves or slots 27 have lateral offsets 29 which receive the pins or projections 28 and which function to lock the link member 18 in closed position when these projections 28 are engaging in the offset portions of the camming grooves 27 The provision of these camming grooves and the projections 28 also facilitates opening of the frame in the event that there should be any tendency of the frame to bind over the stack of plates. 'As illust-rated in Fig. 2, an outward or rotative effort applied to the link member 18 is effective through the internal grooves 27 and projections 28 to cam the ends of the channels 12 and 13 apart. The lower ends of the grooves 27 are, of course, open so that the channels can be com` pletely eparated at this corner of the frame for placingy the stack of plates therein. In closing the frame over the stack of plates, the projections 28 are started Vin the lower ends of the cam grooves 27`after which outward pressure on the end of the link member 18 is effective to cam the adjacent ends ofV the channel members 12 and 13 together. The locking relation established at this corner ofthe frame will close the frame over the plates with the necessary rigidity effectively to protect the same during shipment. 1t will be noted that there is an entire absence of nails7 screws or any other-sharp or pointed surfaces which might inflict Wounds in handling. Y

The name and address of the consignee, and any desired advertising, mattermay be )rinted on the side of the package (Fig. 1),

n the outer fibre protecting sheet 9 or direct-` ly on the outermost plate or like article where no outer protecting sheet is employed.

The ability to reuse the frame is very important advantage these days. In returning the frame, the same may be locked together in the erected position shown in Fig. 1, 0r it may be knocked down into a comparatively long, narrow bundle by releasing the link or clamp member 18 and swinging the one pair of channel members 12-13 down into substantial parallelism with the other pair of channel members 12-'13 It will also be noted that all of the parts of the frame are permanently linked together so that no part or parts thereof can become lost in returning the frame to the shipper.

Although in the drawing and in the above description I have confined myself to what I consider the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that various modifications are contemplated and the invention should, therefore, be limited merely by the scope of the appended claims.

I-Iaving now described my invention, what I consider as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A shipping frame for goods of the class described, comprising four channel members pivotally connected together with the end of one channel member` engaging between the side flanges of another channel member, the ends of the inner channel member or inembers heilig rounded whereby said frame can be knocked down for bringing all of said frame members into substantial parallelism, and means for fastening said frame over the goods.

2. The combination with a plurality of substantially flat plates and protecting sheets between said plates, of a shipping frame therefor comprising four channel members pivoted together at three corners of the frame, said channel members embracing the edges of said plates and protecting sheets, a link pivoted to one of said channel members at the open corner of said frame comprising side flanges, inclined cam grooves formed in the inner faces of the side flanges of said i link, and projecting members extending laterally from the adjacent channel member for engaging in said cam grooves.

3. In a shipping crating for metal sheets or the like, the combination of four channeled metal members pivotally secured to each other end to end, certain of said channeled members being of less Width and adapted to be partially received in adjacent channeled members whenv said crating is in collapsed position, and means for securing said channeled members upon said sheets.

4. In a shipping crating for metal sheets or the like, the combination of four channeled metal members pivotally secured to each other end to end, certain of said channeled members being of less width and adapted to be partially received in adjacent channeled members when said crating is in collapsed position, and means for securing said channeled members upon said sheets, compris ing a channeled member carried by one end of said crating for camming and nesting engagement with the other end of said crating.

5. In a shipping package, the combination of a plurality of metal sheets forming a stack, with a crating for protecting the edges of said sheets comprising a plurality of channeled members having flanges located to enclose the edges of said sheets and means for securing said channeled members together at the cornersof said sheets, including rivets pivotally connecting the flanges of successive channeled members together, certain of said channeled members being adapted to nest in other channeled members when said crating is in collapsed position.

6. In a shipping package, the combination of a plurality of metal sheets forming a stack, with a crating for protecting the edges of said sheets comprising a plurality of chan neled members having flanges located to enf close the edges of said sheets, and means for securing said channeled members together at the corners of said sheets, including rivets pivotally connecting the flanges of successive channeled members together, and force multiplying means for actuating the ends of said crating comprising a channeled member pivotally mounted at one end of said crating and having camming engagement with the other end of said crating.

7; In a shipping package, the combination of a plurality of metal sheets forming a stack, with a crating for protecting the edges of said sheets comprising a plurality of channeled members having flanges located to enclose the edges of said sheets, and means for securing said channeled members together at the corners of said sheets, including rivets pivotally connecting the flanges of successive channeled members together, and force multiplying means for actuating the ends of said crating comprising a channeled member pivg otally mounted at one end of said crating and having camming engagement vwith the other end of said crating, said force multiplying means being adapted to cam said crating to open or to closed position.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this `18th day of June, 1925.

ERNEST C. PAGEL. 

